Author: Alyssa Shelasky
The author of ‘Apron Anxiety’
is a writer. The way she lands writing assignments is interesting. She is one
of those people who seem to be in the right place to find people and things to
write about. Almost till half into the book, the author paints a stark picture
of her self as an absolute food illiterate, happy making the same kind of
sandwiches months together. Her boyfriends turn out to be ‘more imaginative
eater’ than her. With one such love a ‘Pioneer Woman’ story where the author
relocates for love not to the boondocks but a city nowhere vibrant like New York
Her culinary journey starts
with a desire to feed her loved one. As her kitchen confidence increases, so
does her audience. Friends and neighbours and so do the emotional ties with
them. She is no longer a kitchen-phobe when she cooks for the chefs who work at
her fiance’s restaurant. She is open to positive criticism about her cooking.
While sharing the stories of her life, she also shares the recipes that let her
celebrate or tough out life - a down day with a pizza made from store bought
dough (not a purist) to a Rainy Day Rigatoni. She’s an optimist always
appreciating how good the place smells after she has cooked something, like
that itself was the end result of the kitchen labor.
Once she realizes the power
of food, she starts wielding it. The author finds joy in conceptualizing and
creating menus. That’s a long way from a person with just a ‘like’ for food to
a someone who executes meals with desired colors in mind.
Her realization that
‘everyone hurts and everyone is hungry’ is a credo that makes her want to cook
for others to brighten up some lives.
The writing flows smoothly like
a batter without any lumps. The author managed to meld the people, food and
recipes without overdoing any of them.
